I got to the airport at four in the morning and wanted to just lie down on the floor and sleep. I hated myself for not having asked the person who had booked my flights beforehand what time it was in London, but I figured the same could have probably have happened to me. On top it felt like the world was ending, I had only stepped in and out of a cab to the airport and still me and my suitcase were drenched when I arrived. At check-in, a woman told me that there would be delays, but they didn't know for how long yet. Now, really ready to throw myself to the floor, I made my way through some duty-free stores when an announcement echoed through the almost empty airport. All flights delayed, possibly cancelled, wait for further information. Up on the display, I could see how one flight after another changed its font colour to red and I just dropped my bag next to me on the floor for a second, sighed and realized I would be stuck here for a while. I asked whether it made sense to leave the airport, but I would have risked not being there when flights were possible again.

Most of the shops were closed because it was so early. I got a coffee somewhere, very aware that taking a nap wasn't a good idea. The news came trickling in slowly, but apparently, it was another four-five hours before the storm would pass and then the fields had to be checked. "If you upgrade your seat you could spend the time in the lounge?" a staff member suggested. She meant well. "Normally I would let you just sneak in, but that is not possible today," I remember wondering what that was supposed to mean and after thinking about it I agreed to upgrade to first class, even though I would probably hate myself when I would get my credit card statement.

The lounge area lobby was almost empty. When I manoeuvred my way to what the signs suggested were the most comfortable seats I was stopped by a man who turned out to be security. "Private party" he only said, moving his body in front of the door frame and I rolled my eyes. So I turned around and decided to take a shower instead. The bathrooms were actually pretty nice and I stood under the warm water for a good 20 minutes before I got back out. I had just decided to go get some food even though I wasn't really hungry yet when I heard my name down the hallway. The accent sounded familiar right away, the voice not as much. I turned around and my eyes widened. Hoseok. He must have just gotten out from a different shower, he was holding a bag full of toiletries and his smile was so wide that I couldn't help but mirror it. "Hey..." I said perplexed when he went in for a hug. "What..." They had been supposed to leave hours ago. "No flighte." he said. Of course, theirs had been cancelled as well. "No flight." I repeated.

He pulled me along and past that security guard. Turned out the private party was BTS. And there they were. The members and staff, about 15 people scattered around a room of lounge chairs and couches. Jimin and Jungkook were sleeping, Jimin's legs on JKs lap, only Jin standing, doing some sort of weird Yoga pose. "Look. I found..." They looked up and I tried to smile at them apologetically, feeling like an intruder. Finally, I spotted Namjoon on a chair. He had his eyes closed as well and only opened them once the others greeted me. He looked a little shocked for a second, then jumped up and walked over while I dealt with a for some reason very excited and definitely awake Jimin. There was giggling. Not from Namjoon or me, mainly the younger boys. When I finally got to hug Namjoon it felt a bit weird because there were so many people around us, so I tried to not make the hug longer than anyone else. "What are you doing here?" he asked afterwards and I shrugged. "Same as you I guess. I'm waiting?" He tried to hide his smile but just couldn't, which Jin next to us noticed. "Yeah, he pretty, but I more pretty." I laughed. "Yeah. You are very very handsome, Jin." Windshield wiper laugh. "You Army?" I almost blushed. Closed my eyes for a second and nodded before I looked at Namjoon. He was aware I think but I had never admitted it in front of him. Uhhhh's echoed through the room. "But I am bias." Yoongi added from a couch across the room, he had not moved yet. "It talks." Namjoon murmured a little annoyed, his hand rubbing my lower back for a second, before dropping it again. "I think Olivia Noona liar, different bias." Jungkook finally said and everyone stared at him before laughing. Had he just Noona'd me? He was looking at Namjoon with a sparkle of provocation, cheekiness in person. "I hate you all, oh my god." Namjoon sighed and tried to hit Kookies side, but he was way too fast.

We sat down eventually. Some of the staff seemed to not care enough that I was there to even acknowledge my existence, others were eying me a little, but I tried to ignore it. I tried to keep my distance from Namjoon. Even though I sat next to him on a couch the whole time while the others took their turn napping, asking questions in broken, nervous English or in general being adorable. At some point Jin was next to me, he let himself fall on the couch so hard that I thought it would break for a second. "Lauren say hi." It took me a few moments to realize what he meant. He had his phone in his hands, a conversation I couldn't quite make out open. "Noooo..." I said in disbelief, taking turns to look at Namjoon and Jin. "Well, she told me to give him her number." "Yeah... but I never realized you did. She didn't say a word, God damn." I was laughing, but what the fuck. "I am very handsome. She knows." Namjoon and I moved our hands in front of our eyes in unison while laughing. For fucks sake. "How the hell do they communicate?" I wondered and Namjoon nodded. "Yeah. I think selfies, maybe a little google translate, but mainly selfies." "I never get selfies." "Pfff... you want me to send you selfies? And here I thought you liked me because I am smart..." "No, it's just about the dimples..." He tried to fight a smile because that would make them appear, but he had a hard time with it. Jin had already switched to a photo app and was taking a selfie of the three of us for Lauren, I tried to look a little pissed. I wasn't really, even though I was curious why she hadn't told me. I'd probably never truly understand that woman.

What had looked like a miserable morning alone in an airport turned out to be one of the nicest I had had in a long time. The lounge breakfast was good enough and the company even better. Somehow it just never seemed to be fully quiet, I could only imagine how tiring that would be for Namjoon sometimes. When he moved his finger over my cheek because I had somehow managed to get jam from my croissant there, Jimin started giggling again. Said something in Korean, of which I only understood my new nickname thanks to JK. "What did he say?" I asked Namjoon, who hesitated a second to shoot a semi-angry look in Jimins direction, but then sighed and talked. "He said Olivia-Noona makes Joon-Hyung look like a fool. And that I am about to lose my street cred, not very Rapmonster of me." I quietly laughed and winked at Jimin, who in turn tried to hug Namjoon.

It was crazy to think that this was the longest conversation I had ever had with Namjoon in person. Even though we were sometimes interrupted and never really alone, if we kept our voices down, nobody understood us fully. I heard about his family and I told him about mine. Childhood friends. Pet peeves. Little things that probably only were interesting when the person who spoke about them was someone who you were interested in.

By the time it was 9 AM there was an announcement that flights could leave the airport again and all of a sudden the group was in a big hurry. Getting BTS through the airport, now, that it wasn't the middle of the night anymore, seemed to be as chaotic as challenging. I helped pack some stuff together and Namjoon used the hectic atmosphere to sneak a little secret kiss. "Text me as soon as you get home?" Smiling I nodded. And then they were rushing through a back door to get to their plane. And me and my suitcase were left in a room full of moved couches and empty plates and plastic foil everywhere. I stood there for a second, then I headed towards my gate, trying to find out if I would actually leave soon.

It took another two hours before my flight left, after all, they could only let so many planes take off at a time. I noticed a plane to Seoul on the board, it left much earlier. Seoul - 13 hours ahead in time. More than that away by plane. Really what felt almost like a different world.

On the plane, I was actually incredibly happy to have upgraded my seat. I slept through all announcements and meals and slight turbulences, most of the passengers did. I was woken up an hour before we got to New York and the staff was serving breakfast. Croissants with jam. I stared at it for a good minute, I actually missed him already. And that was definitely a problem. Because things probably wouldn't get better than a few stolen hours every once in a while.